Laetitia

Last night I had an interesting encounter with three people: a Muslim store clerk, a fundamentalist Christian woman, and my homeless friend. This was truly an interesting trinity if there ever was one.

I was on my way to do laundry, when my homeless friend said hello. I only had the money on me for laundry, so when he asked for money I had to turn him down. It was an awkward moment since I could see that he was disappointed. Determined not to rationalize my motives, I keep it on the level with him and explained that I truly only had enough for laundry. That was the truth. And as I went off to do laundry I was musing how that truth just didn’t seem to satisfy. Truth as I had defined it was relative. In other words, even if I tried not to rationalize, I did. He deserved better than that. Indeed, more than the money he deserved more dignity than I afforded him. I don’t think I quite grasped that and instead gave him my left over quarters. It was far from generosity and instead was more about assuaging my guilt.

I ran into my friend Erin who needed to head to the corner store. As we entered, a woman and the clerk were in a heated debate about Christ as Messiah. I was drawn like a moth to a flame. Erin wanted nothing to do with it and wisely went about her business. I was content to be merely an onlooker, but the woman would have none of that. She asked me if I was Christian, though she was doubtful. I said I was Catholic. She then thought I would take her side against the Muslim. She was attempting to tell him that in the Hebrew scriptures they explicitly mentioned Jesus as the messiah. When asked, I had to tell her what I perceived to be the truth — they did not mention Jesus as the messiah in the Hebrew scriptures but by our faith as Christians we believe he is the messiah.

Fundamentalist Woman: No, it says the messiah in the Old Testament. And he is telling me that it is not in there.

Me: That’s because it’s not. It never says Jesus was the Messiah in the Old Testament. We learn that from our faith.

Fundamentalist Woman: {condescendingly} Honey, have you read the Bible?

Me: YES, I’ve read the Bible but your issue is one of interpretation. You are interpreting.

Fundamentalist Woman: I’m not interpreting. It’s right there! Tell me, do you think theologians that interpret are unholy people?

Me: Quite the contrary! I think because they look at the scripture critically and take into account its historical context, they are quite holy.

Muslim: See she agrees with me.

Fundamentalist Woman: Well, she isn’t a believer and is not going to be saved with her college educated hoo-
ha.

Erin: F*** you.

Muslim: If you look at the Hebrew scriptures and the Koran, they are more similar than Cristianity. Prophet Jesus got rid of all of the things sacred to a Jew. He got rid of circumcision–

Me: That was Paul.

Muslim: He got rid of kosher –

Me: That was Paul.

Muslim: Said it didn’t matter who followed.

Me: Again, Paul.

Erin: Why are you trying to convert the crazies? I’m out of here.

So Erin left and I tried to leave unsuccessfully. I was a little puzzled and shaken. Here were two people passionate about there faiths and yet it seemed so far from what I knew of God. Of course, I was also condemned. And as I was walking outside, Erin was talking to my homeless friend. As we said hello and good-bye he said with deep sincerity, “God bless you.” I finally go it — he was far closer to God than the fundamentalist woman, the Muslim or myself. It was the singularly ironic moment of this man blessing me and affording me dignity that I could finally see the face and force Christ.

My niece, Emma Elaine was born this past February 22nd. Babies have a way of bringing people together. Indeed, birth is something that everyone can relate to — not because we remember our birth but because we experience being born many times. Indeed we experience birth and death many times in life, both often coming with tears. This too is the genius of baptism. As we die with Christ we become born anew in Christ.

I am thinking now of John the Baptist. I imagine his feelings when Jesus wanted him to baptize him — a grain of sand standing in front of the vast infinity of God. God, that divine and infinite being who IS without a past or a future, took on finitude and mortality. He got bloody, bruised and beaten. He lost. He died.

John as fetus leapt in Elizabeth’s womb as a sign of recognition of Jesus. It is that same recognition that caused John to take pause when Jesus wanted John to baptize him in the Jordan. However, by baptizing Jesus John took part in the relationship of the Trinity. It is that participation in the Trinity that helps us to understand relationship. It helps us to grasp the concept of love. It also helps us to see why God allowed himself to die — love. However, it also because of that love that all creation could become anew. His resurrection conquered sin, just as baptism conquers that original sin.

And I think of all of this in that instant before the baby enters the world and cries.